Correspondent tags along
on bear fact-finding adventure
By Susan Feeney-Hopkins
Special to The Star-Herald
In January 2011 I was lucky enough to be invited to visit black bear dens with Randy Cross, Maine’s senior wildlife biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and his crew. Imagine how lucky I felt to be invited back again this spring to participate in a day of live bear trapping!
BEAR TRACKING — Star-Herald Correspondent Susan Feeney-Hopkins spent a day this spring live-trapping black bear in the North Maine Woods with Maine wildlife biologists as part of their ongoing black bear study program.
Senior Wildlife Biologist Randy Cross, at left, is pictured with with Wildlife Biologist Kendall Marden and Wildlife Technician John Wood as they collect data from a sedated black bear. The information, collected as part of a study, is an important tool used by wildlife biologists to help to properly manage Maine’s black bear population.
I met Randy and his crew at 7 a.m. on a spur road in the North Woods. The crew on this day consisted of Cross, and fellow biologists Kendall “Hoss” Marden, a wildlife biologist who resides in Sidney, John “Lobstah” Wood, a wildlife technician from Warren, and my husband, Steve. We split off in two groups to allow for optimal use of manpower to check the traps.
This wasn’t a foo-foo day of “visiting” bear traps. It was a day of work and important study for these men. Checking the traps includes baiting, resetting of traps as required and lots of driving and walking in and out of the woods. I am personally associated with the sport of trapping and in the baiting of bears, so I was certainly in my element and very excited at the prospect of how the day would unfold.
The IF&W Black Bear Study has been in effect for 35-plus years and is the longest ongoing study of the animals in the United States, with Cross leading the way since early in its history. Cross is one of the most influential and respected wildlife biologists in the country. He has been featured in many television shows and documentaries about black bears and many seek him out for his expertise on the matter. He remains humble and considers this work his life’s passion and doesn’t view the accolades and attention he receives as anything more than a job well done.
“Any attention or publicity we can get is good for the bears” he said, while maintaining his “we” attitude. “This is a group effort.”
The main objective of the spring trapping portion of the black bear study is to collar new prime-age females to include in the study. The bears are outfitted with a leather insert in the collar which is designed to deteriorate and fall off over time in case the collar fails. This is one reason why the study must find new participating females.
The females are the main focus of the study as they produce the offspring. By following the females, they are able to closely document birth rates, therefore allowing them to monitor and manage the Maine black bear population. An already collared or tagged bear caught in a trap allows the biologists to identify them and gather scientific and informational data to determine things such as cub survival rates, the age of first reproduction, dispersal patterns, etc. All of these factors in turn help the biologists determine the density of the Maine black bear population and recruitment rates — the number of bears entering the population to replace those that are harvested.
On this day near the end of the trapping period, the crew has trapped a total of 119 bear. By the last day of the season, the crew had trapped a total of 124. Most of the bears in the program have participated throughout their entire lifespan, the oldest documented bear being 31 years old. Another awesome fact associated with the longevity of this program is the study has followed and documented the lives of six generations of bear from one original female and continues to follow her offspring to this day.
Since the study has been ongoing for over 35 years, it makes Maine unique and a premiere leader in the study of black bears. Nevertheless Cross maintains he “still learns something new” about them and “would love to read their minds,” saying he has yet to “figure them out completely.”
Just being in the presence of this crew and witnessing their life’s work in their environment is very inspiring — so much so their study inspired the non-profit organization, The Black Bear Society, to move its national headquarters to Maine. This organization’s sole purpose is to contribute to the study and management of black bears.
The crew is not inhibited when talking about the lack of funding to support their efforts. The fact is, the only funds designated by the state for this program are from a portion of the proceeds from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. As the sale of hunting licenses drop, so does the budget. This is why The Maine chapter of The Black Bear Society was established and is making an effort to support the program. They believe as I do and so many others, that Maine black bear are a vital natural resource.
They are dedicated to the preservation of the American black bear, along with the conservation and rehabilitation of its natural habitat. For information about The Black Bear Society, e-mail member@blackbearsociety.org or visit the organization’s website at www.BlackBearSociety.org.
Another nonprofit private organization dedicated to furthering wildlife research in Maine is The Wildlife Research Foundation (WLRF) which was started by an Aroostook County family who have an intense interest in bears and other wildlife in Maine. The WLRF was involved last winter in installing a live web camera in the den of a hibernating black bear with newborn cubs. You can see clips of the live web stream of bears in their den and find out how you can support their efforts at www.WLRF.org.
There has been rumored discussion of the possibility of a Maine spring bear hunt. While many oppose the idea, when asked, Cross said he “believes it to be beneficial.”
“To hold a spring bear hunt, in a precise manner,” he said, “would help to offset the declining harvest numbers” from the late summer/early fall hunt.
According to Cross, the state recommends that hunters harvest 3,500 or more bears per year to keep the population in check. This number is based upon the last population count of an estimated 31,000 bears in 2010. Over the past several years, that target was not met and the population of bear in the state, particularly the northern section, is estimated to have increased during that period.
“The harvest has been below target since the economy began declining. There just aren’t enough bear hunters,” said Cross.
I’d like to thank Randy Cross, John Wood and Kendall Marden of the Maine Department Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for another great day in the field. Being allowed this privilege will truly go down as one of the great days of my life. The experience and the knowledge they shared with me is appreciated and they all have my support and respect.
Susan Feeney-Hopkins is the correspondent for Ashland, Portage Lake, Oxbow, Masardis, Garfield, Nashville Plantation and the surrounding areas. She can be reached at 435-8232 or Feenhop@aol.com.
